gentle words
by Skyward Hawk's Flight
Summary: Ever since Raccoon City, Rockford Island… she was no stranger to the reoccurring nightmares that followed but, always, she woke up alone. And she knew how awful that felt. [post re5, pre rev2, claire/jill]


**more claire/jill that i forgot to post earlier for some reason? idk man**

 **this one was actually written before skin to skin, but i just never put it up here :'D**

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Claire pulled up to the apartment complex, the wheels of her motorcycle skidding a bit before they came to a stop along the curb of the sidewalk. Balancing her phone on her shoulder, she sat back on the seat for a moment, smiling and letting out an exasperated sigh when her brother's voice sounded on the other end.

" _You found the place okay, right? And you didn't forget the stuff that I gave you?"_

The redhead raised an eyebrow, even though she knew he couldn't see it. "Chris, _please_." She chuckled, rustling the bags in her other hand. "You act like _I'm_ the one who's the old geezer here."

She heard her brother scoff. _"Hey, hey, watch it. I know I'm forty now, but you know there's only a six year age difference between us."_ Claire rolled her eyes, but paused when he sighed softly. _"I'm sorry, I know I'm just nagging you now. It's just…"_

"It's okay, Chris. I know." Claire reassured, standing up from her motorcycle's seat and heading toward the front door. "You're worried. I mean, Jill's been your partner for years. I know how close you guys are."

It had been years since the incident with Uroboros and Wesker, but Claire knew that Jill just hadn't been the same since then. Whenever Chris wasn't working, he was going to check up on her, face shadowed by worry and concern. Claire herself didn't know Jill half as well as her brother did, but she knew her well enough to start worrying about her too.

And that was why she was here. Chris had been planning to go alone today, to bring Jill some foods and things, but something sudden had come up with his work, leading him to contact his sister. So now she stood on the steps, plastic bags in hand, ready to head up to Jill's small apartment in his place.

"Alright, I'm on my way up now. I'll call you when I leave, okay?"

In the moment, Chris had regained himself, responding quickly. _"Yeah, yeah, I'll talk to you later. Let Jill know I'm going to be gone on my mission for a few days, at least. And be careful on the roads."_

"No worries; I've got it all under control." She smiled, ending the call and slipping her phone back into her pocket before walking through the door.

Claire briskly made her way up the stairs to the higher floors, remembering where Jill's address was along the way as she recalled the previous times she had come here with Chris. She hoisted the bags up a little higher in her grasp, trying to make sure they didn't drag along the steps, but a sharp noise made her freeze.

 _A… scream?_

Only a few seconds later, another one echoed down the hall, muffled by the walls but still unmistakable. Terrified and panicked.

It was Jill's scream.

Dropping the bags where they were, Claire raced down the hallway, urgency jolting her body back into action. Chris had told her before, how there were people who sought to kill those in the B.S.A.A., to eliminate them and continue the black market of bioweapons without opposition. Now regretting the fact that she hadn't brought a weapon with her, she cursed under breath. She would be ready to fight them hand-to-hand if she had to, though. She wasn't a Redfield for nothing.

Reaching her door before she could even catch her breath, Claire reached for the doorknob, shaking it violently when she realized it was locked. "Dammit, come on!" She hissed, slamming her fist into the wood. "Jill! Jill, it's Claire, are you okay?!"

No response. She leaned her forehead against the door, considering her options. There was no way in hell she was leaving until she knew Jill was safe. Steeling herself, Claire took a few steps back, examining the obstacle before. The building actually looked quite old; maybe, just maybe she could…

When another cry of distress came from behind the door, she didn't wait a moment longer. Taking a deep breath, Claire mustered all of her strength and kicked, her boot colliding with the pale wooden surface with a crack before it swung on its hinges, flinging open. She felt a surge of triumph before hurrying into the apartment. She could worry about the broken lock later.

Turning the corner, Claire followed the source of the noises, pushing open another door into what appeared to be Jill's bedroom. Muscles tensed and ready to fight, Claire expected to see Jill fending off against her attacker… but she wasn't. She was in her bed, tossing and turning and twisting her sheets into a mess of white fabric, as if she was still fighting monsters even in her dreams. Even from where she was standing, she could see a sheen of sweat on Jill's forehead, how her face contorted, as if she was in pain. The sight made Claire's heart twist.

 _Oh, Jill…_

She relaxed, but still made her way hastily to Jill's bedside, reaching out to pull her from whatever nightmare held her in its grasp. In the exact moment that her hand touched the soldier's shoulder, however, Jill's eyes snapped open, her fingers wrapping around Claire's wrist in an iron grip. She was thrown into the bed, the impact forcing the air from her lungs. Jill loomed over her, and the dark, haunted look in her blue eyes made Claire's heart pound.

But Jill didn't try to hurt her. She blinked once, twice, taking a sharp breath. "Oh… Oh my god, Claire." Face softening with recognition, Jill released the redhead, sitting against the backboard of her bed and covering her mouth with one hand. Claire could see the tremors running through her fingers. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, i-it was a reflex, I thought – "

Getting back into a sitting positon, Claire turned to Jill, placing her hand over the one she noticed clutching the bed sheets by her side. "Please Jill, don't apologize." She murmured gently. "No one's hurt; I'm fine, see?"

Jill still didn't look convinced, closing her eyes with a shaky sigh. "...Wh… What are you doing here, Claire?" It seemed like she was trying to avoid the subject of what had just occurred, but Claire wouldn't push her. "It's, uh… It's been a while."

As she spoke, Jill pulled her hand away from Claire's to brush her hair back behind her ear. Although it had been months, even years since what happened to her in Africa, her once brown locks were still a pale, soft gold. From what Claire knew, the soldier had tried to change its color a few times before, but nothing ever worked. She wondered if it would always be a constant reminder of the hell that she had been put through.

A quiet cough broke through her train of thought, making Claire jump a little. Realizing that Jill had noticed her stare, she turned her attention to her wrist, massaging it with her other hand. Even though she had told Jill that it hadn't hurt, there was a soreness that told her otherwise. "Chris sent me." She explained, hoping to lessen the tension between them. "You know how he is… He wanted me to tell you he's leaving on his next mission today, for a couple of days. Oh, and…"

Claire twisted around to look at the floor by the bed, sighing when she remembered the bags she had left in the hall. "Oh, yeah... He left me some things to bring to you too, but I dropped… Hang on, I'll go get them and – "

Sliding her legs to the bed's side, Claire was ready to stand, only for Jill to jerk forward and reach out for her again. She did it so forcefully, the redhead almost stumbled back onto ruffled white covers. "No!" The soldier sounded uncharacteristically nervous. "No, I mean… Just… Don't leave. Please."

Claire could feel Jill struggling to find the words, but she didn't have to say anything. Ever since Raccoon City, Rockford Island… she was no stranger to the reoccurring nightmares that followed but, always, she woke up alone.

And she knew how awful that felt.

Throwing caution to the wind, before Jill could react to what she was going to do, Claire settled back down and wrapped her arms firmly around her shoulders and back. She felt her body go completely rigid for a moment, just as surprised as Claire was at her sudden embrace, before she slowly began to relax into her touch.

"It's alright, Jill. I'm not going anywhere." Claire's soft words were a bit muffled against Jill's shoulder, but she gave her a reassuring squeeze before pulling back a bit. This wasn't the first time she'd done something like this; Sherry often woke up from horrible dreams of her own, and Claire tried to be there as much as she could to comfort the young girl and remind her that she was safe, even when she had been under the government's custody. But, turning to examine Jill's expression, something about this felt so much different.

Was she just imagining it, or was there a ghost of a blush on Jill's cheeks?

"…Thank you." A deep sigh swelled in Jill's chest, sounding relieved. "Really. I'm… glad that you were here to wake me up, Claire."

Something about the way she said those words left a fluttering feeling in Claire's stomach, and she found herself averting her eyes without trying to. Looking at the smile on Jill's face for too long caused her to start feeling flushed herself. "Of course, Jill. I know I'm not around as much as my brother is, but… I really care about you too, you know."

And it was true; Claire felt a certain bond with Jill that she didn't think she had with anyone else. She had thought for so long that it had been a sisterly sort of relationship (Jill was around her brother so often that it was easy to think that her feelings for Chris's partner were simply that), but when she was with Jill like this… she wasn't so sure anymore.

She tried to tell herself, as much as it hurt, that she knew very well what these kinds of feelings led to. The first time had been proof enough… right?

"Hey… Claire?"

She could hear it again, an inkling of the nerves from earlier were back in Jill's voice. "What is it, Jill?" She replied with concern of her own.

"Would it be okay if… you stayed for a little while longer?" She paused. "I didn't sleep too well, as I'm sure you could guess. But, if I fall asleep again, I'm… worried."

Worried about the nightmares coming back. Worried that she would again have to face the monsters she just couldn't leave behind.

Worried that Claire wouldn't be there to wake her up again.

Without another word, Claire pulled Jill down with her until they were both laying on the bed, refusing to let her go. "Go ahead." She murmured, running a few fingers through Jill's pale hair. "I'll be right here when you wake up."

She felt Jill pull her closer, pressing a smile against the top of her head. Claire knew she didn't imagine the softness of her lips pressing a kiss to the crown of her hair.

Warmth blossoming in her chest, Claire closed her eyes, content in Jill's arms.

For the first time in what felt like years, they both slept peacefully and without fear.


End file.
